A driver shortage continues to be an issue for the Northwestern Ontario Student Services Consortium.
It’s leading to a school bus, RL-1, in the Red Lake/Ear Falls area being cancelled today.
The Consortium says it’s still looking for drivers in Red Lake, Ear Falls, Kenora, Sioux Narrows, Sioux Lookout, and Dryden.
One of the largest bass fishing tournaments in the northwest won’t be going ahead this year.
The board of the Kenora Bass International has cancelled the 2020 event.
Co-chair Cori Libitka says even though KBI is over three months away, COVID-19 has taken a bite out of the income for sponsors, volunteers and anglers, who might take part.
She adds they can’t ethically ask people to travel to Kenora and congregate under the White Cap Pavilion.
Libitka adds that KBI will be bigger and better in 2021.
The final walleye tournament of the summer has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
The Red Lake Fall Classic, traditionally held on the Labour Day long weekend, won’t be taking place this year.
Chair of the Committee Liz Harder says it was a difficult decision but no one can predict when the health crisis may subside.
Premier Doug Ford has encouraged the cancellation of all fishing tournaments in the province this year.
All teams currently registered will have their position and entry fees held for next year’s tournament.
Here is the official statement from organizers:
The Red Lake Fall Classic Committee has made a very tough decision to cancel the 2020 Red Lake Fall Classic Fishing Tournament. Since no one can predict when the COVID -19 pandemic may subside, we feel that it would be very irresponsible of us to hold such a large fishing tournament- especially during these times when we are told to socially distance and Ontario’s Premier encouraging the cancellation of all fishing tournaments within the province this year.
We are extremely grateful to the sponsors and the anglers who have year after year continued to support this event.
All teams currently registered will have their position and entry fees held for next year’s tournament. We have extended our current registration for past anglers to the end of April. Any teams who wish to cancel their entries, and lose their position for next year’s tournament, can contact the committee by emailing contact rlfconline@gmail.com or on Facebook.
Please stay home and stay safe, so we can see you at next year’s event, Labour Day weekend 2021!
Sincerely,
Liz Harder, Chair of the RLFCC
The status of major fishing tournaments across northwestern Ontario remains up in the air due to the coronavirus.
However, the line has been cut on one of the first events of the year.
The Emo Walleye Classic won’t be held this year.
It was scheduled for the end of May.
In a Facebook post, organizers say it was a very hard decision to make, but felt the safety of the community was more important.
https://www.facebook.com/emowalleye/posts/10157461263439751
Students will not be returning to Confederation College campuses across the region for the duration of this school year.
Officials have cancelled face-to-face classes and labs for the remainder of the semester.
The school will be completing the year online only.
If you don’t have access to the technology to learn at home, you are asked to contact your local campus.
Officials say they are continuing efforts to help students complete their year.
Program coordinators will be in touch with specific plans as soon as possible.
Faculty have been working diligently to develop solutions to help students meet program requirements.
Con College says exisiting spring and summer programming will take place but will be adjusted based on the COVID-19 situation at that time and the direction of health officials.
For the first time in the 124-year history of the competition, the 2020 Summer Olympics have been postponed.
The International Olympic Committee has agreed “100%” to a proposal from the organizing committee to push the start of the Games to 2021 to protect everyone from COVID-19.
Shintaro Ishihara is chair of the organizing committee and through a translator he said “I am sorry about it. I regret it. And than in a way it’s a sigh of relief. Both.”
He stressed “This could be a good pretext for us to go forward and we can prepare for an even better Olympic and Paralympic Games than what we had planned for this year.”
Ishihara stated a lot of thought went behind the decision, noting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach held a conference call and discussed in length outstanding questions and concerns.
He says it was a mutual decision that gave their committee some direction.
A joint statement states the postponement will safeguard the health of athletes and everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the International community.
The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan.
It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
The Olympics were completely cancelled during periods of World War, in 1916, 1940 and 1944, but never suspended or postponed.
The 2020 Games were scheduled to start four months to the day.
If students do return to the classroom they won’t have to worry about completing mandated standardized testing.
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the provincial exams have been cancelled for the 2019-2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Lecce says the move was made in light of immense pressures students are facing in their academic careers as a result of COVID-19.
He says his ministry consulted with parents, students, educators and administrators for elementary and secondary students and decided that this was the best course of action.
Lecce stresses student graduation won’t be impacted.
The remainder of the SIJHL season and the playoffs have been cancelled until further notice.
This includes matches to be played by the Dryden GM Ice Dogs and Red Lake Miners.
The cancellations are across the Canadian Junior Hockey League as all games and hockey related activity has been cancelled in its member clubs.
The cause of the cancellation is due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.facebook.com/SIJHL/posts/2772089626200185
CJHL president Brent Ladds says, “In lieu of the world-wide events and on-going implications of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and following in-depth deliberations with our Executive Board and each of the commissioners/presidents, along with consultations with medical experts, as well as Hockey Canada, the decision has been made to put a hold on the season for the time being.”
Further updates will be provided if they become available.
Another day of school bus cancellations as a result of the weekend rain storm in the Machin area.
Buses won’t be running on Minnitaki Road South, Baptist Church Road, Schultz Road, Mason Road, Roussin Road, Berglund Road and Stenberg Road.
It’s due to road washouts and poor conditions.
There are a number of bus cancellations in the Dryden area due to the weekend storm.
Heavy rain hit many area rural areas, with the Vermilion Bay Airport recording 56.8-millimetres of rain.
Several partial and complete road washouts are reported.
As a result, buses won’t be running on Minnitaki Road South, Baptist Church Road, Schultz Road, Mason Road, Roussin Road, Rugby Lake Road, Houde Road, Stenberg Road and Haukness Road.
Delays are also expected throughout the Dryden and Vermilion Bay areas due to detours and road conditions.
A number of roads in the Machin area have been impacted and drivers are urged to use caution on Mason Road, Berglund Road, Roussin Road, Baptist Church Road, Evergreen Road, North Minnitaki Road, Kondra Road, Calvert Road, Townline Road, Schultz Road, Detour Point Road, Airport Road, South Minnitaki Road.
